Sexual abuse survivors' group targets local Catholic church
Keri Blakinger, October 9, 2016, Chron
When Michael Norris was 11, he got a bad case of poison ivy at summer camp - a pretty normal childhood experience.
But that normal experience turned into lasting trauma when a Catholic priest working as a counselor at the all-boys camp invited the Kentucky pre-teen back to his cabin to "treat" the outbreak - and instead molested him, Norris alleges.
Now, more than 40 years later, Norris is trying to help today's children avoid a similar fate by spearheading a local awareness campaign targeting Catholic congregations.
Sunday, Norris and other activists with the recently relaunched Houston chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests showed up at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Sunday to tell church-goers about their awareness campaign.
As mass ended just after noon, a trio of SNAP supporters handed out flyers to worshipers leaving the downtown church.
Emblazoned with a SNAP logo, the handouts listed names of 18 clergy members that have been . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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